The present invention relates to a board connector contained in an electric connection box and fixed to a wiring board forming an internal circuit of the electric connection box with zero insertion force.
Heretofore, junction boxes and electric connection boxes are employed for supplying power to electric equipment, exchange signals among electronic parts and make internal circuits branch off intensively around automotive engine rooms and instrument panels.
In some electric connection box, there are installed a printed circuit board mounted with a fuse, a relay, a connector or the like and a wiring board with a conductor circuit forming an internal circuit formed thereon, whereas the junction box is equipped with the wiring board and a board connector connected to the wiring board. However, as the term xe2x80x98junction boxxe2x80x99 may be used to collectively mean a junction box inclusive of an electric connection box sometime, the term xe2x80x98electric connection boxxe2x80x99 is used to collectively mean such an electric connection box in this specification.
The electric connection box contains one sheet of wiring board or a plurality of laminated wiring boards formed with conductor circuits, the number of which depends on the kind or specification of the vehicle. A board connector is connected to the edge portion or onto the surface of the wiring board so as to supply power to electric equipment or exchange signals between electronic parts.
FIG. 7 shows the art related to a board connector of the sort stated in JP-A 9-82427. A board connector 80 includes a connector housing 81, first and second terminals 85 and 86 contained in the connector housing 81, and a lever 87. The connector housing 81 includes a board portion 82 and a side wall portion 84 provided on both sides of the board portion 82 with the upper portion of the board portion 82 open. Further, a number of slits 83a and 83b respectively cut out from both the front and back are formed in the board portion 82.
The first and second terminals 85 and 86 are long enough not to more or less overlap each other in the width direction of the connector housing 81 with the terminals 85 and 86 incorporated therein, whereby the positions of the adjoining first and second terminals 85 and 86 are arranged alternately in the longitudinal and width directions of the connector housing 81.
The lever 87 is pivotably supported above the connector housing 81 and by pivoting the lever 87 in the horizontal direction, a wiring board 88 can be press-fixed to the wiring board 88. More specifically, mating portions (not shown) curved toward the pivotal center of the lever are provided and the mating portions are mated with the front ends of the elastic support pieces (not shown) of the second terminals whereby to support the lever 87 pivotably on the front ends of the elastic support pieces.
Further, protrusions 87a are provided on the front-end side faces of the lever 87 and when the lever is pivoted in the horizontal direction, the protrusions 87a are fitted in the respective depressions 84a of the side wall portions 84 of the connector housing 81, so that the lever 87 is prevented from being easily released.
Many terminal portions (not shown) electrically contacting the board connector 80 are provided in longitudinally two rows on the back of the wiring board 88 and when the terminal portions in the front row are brought into contact with the contacts 86a of the second terminals 86, the terminal portions in the back row are brought into contact with the contacts 85a of the first terminals.
With the arrangement above, as the high-density arrangement of the terminals 85 and 86 is possible, the pitch of the adjoining terminals 85 and 86 is narrowed, so that the size of the connector becomes reducible.
However, there are following problems to be solved in the case of the related board connector.
Recently, with an increase in the number of electric devices and electronic parts to be loaded in automobiles, spaces available for installation of these electric and electronic components around engine rooms and instrument panels tend to become smaller, whereupon it is requested to make electric connection boxes smaller in size. On the other hand, the number of signal lines for exchanging signals among electronic parts is on the increase and there develops a demand for high-density conductor circuits and multi-pole board connectors.
The related board connector 80 described above is intended to narrow the pitch of the terminals 85 and 86 by arranging the adjoining terminals 85 and 86 in longitudinally two planar rows. However, the board connector 80 is applicable to only the single-sided wiring board but not so structured as to be applicable to a wiring board having a terminal portion formed on both sides of the board.
Further, the board connector 80 is not applicable to the wiring board 88 having the terminal portion formed on both sides of the board because it is to be fixed to one end edge portion of the wiring board 88. More specifically, the wiring conductors forming the conductor circuit are also not applicable to the wiring board for forming the terminal portions by drawing out the wiring conductors to both the adjoining portions of the wiring board.
Moreover, though the wiring board 88 is press-fixed to the board connector 80 by pivoting the lever 87 of the board connector 80, there is the possibility of letting the wiring board 88 slip out of the board connector 80 in case where tensile force inadvertently acts on the wiring board 88.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a board connector which is applicable to a wiring board formed with a conductor circuit formed on both sides of the wiring board to ensure that terminals are multi-polarized with their highly reliable electrical connections to the wiring board and is joined to the wiring board with zero insertion force.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a board connector for fixing a printed circuit board on which a conductor circuit is formed, comprising:
a first connector housing, accommodating a plurality of first terminals therein;
a second connector housing, accommodating a plurality of second terminals therein, and provided above the first connector housing;
an operating lever, pivotably coupled to the first connector housing and the second housing for moving the first connector housing and the second connector to closer each other between a first position and a second position; and
an auxiliary lever, pivotably coupled to the operating lever and the first connector housing for restricting the pivotal range of the operating lever;
wherein the first connector housing and the second connector housing have a space for inserting end portions of the printed circuit board therebetween when the operation lever is located in the first position; and
wherein the printed circuit board is secured between the first connector housing and the second connector housing when the operation lever is located in the second position.
In the above configuration, the connector housing is divided into first housing and the second housing and both the housings are coupled to the operating lever. Thus, the print circuit board is fitted in between both the housing with zero insertion force without rubbing against both the housings and held between both the housing by pivoting the operating lever. As the first housing is provided with the auxiliary lever, the operating lever is supported by the auxiliary lever and the pivotal angle of the operating lever is controllable. Therefore, the printed circuit board can be fitted in the board connector with zero insertion force, so that the terminal portions and the like can be prevented from being deformed and damaged. Moreover, the operability of the operating lever is improved, whereby the printed circuit board and the board connector can easily be combined together.
Preferably, the operating lever includes an operating portion and a pair of arms extended from both ends of the operating portion, and each arm has coupling portions pivotably coupling to the first connector housing and the second connector housing respectively, and the operating portion has a plug-in portion slidably coupled to the auxiliary lever.
In the above configuration, the operating portion is provided with the plug-in portion slidably coupled to the auxiliary lever and the arms are provided with the coupling portions coupled to the connector housing, whereby the operating lever and the auxiliary lever are smoothly operated and the pivoting of the operating lever is controllable. Moreover, both the housings are moved in a manner interlocking with the pivoting of the arms so as to move both the housing closer to each other. Therefore, the operability of the operating lever is improved and the printed circuit board can be fitted in the board connector with zero insertion force.
Preferably, the plug-in portion has a notch and a slide pin provided on an inner face of the notch, and the auxiliary lever has a slot engaged with the slide pin.
In the above configuration, as the plug-in portion has the notch and the slide pin and the auxiliary lever has the slot mating with the slide pin, the operating lever and the auxiliary lever are slidably coupled and the slide pin is reciprocated in the slot in a manner interlocking with the pivoting of the operating lever. Therefore, the operating lever is pivotably supported by the auxiliary lever and this results in improving the stability of the operation of the operating lever.
Preferably, a portion near the first connector housing and the second connector housing side of the auxiliary lever is a L shaped portion, and portions near the first connector housing and the second connector housing side of the arms are L shaped portions.
In the above configurations, the auxiliary lever and the arms are folded and lie on top of another when the operating lever is pushed down so as to fix the board connector to the wiring board. Consequently, the auxiliary lever and the arms are prevented from sticking out and interfering with the outside.
Preferably, a pair of guiding walls are provided on the second connector housing to restrict a pivotal direction of the auxiliary lever, and the auxiliary lever is positioned between the guiding walls.
In the above configuration, as the guiding walls for holding the auxiliary lever are provided in the second housing, the second housing and the auxiliary lever are positioned properly as the former and the latter are restricted mutually. Consequently, the positional deviation of the board connector is prevented with respect to the terminals of the printed circuit board, so that the reliability of the electrical connections is improved.
Preferably, the first terminals are accommodated in a first terminal chambers provided in the first connector housing, and the second terminals are accommodated in a second terminal chambers provided in the second connector housing. The first terminals and second terminals are arranged so as to connected to terminal portions of the conductor circuit, the terminal portions formed on both sides of the printed circuit board when the operation lever is located in the second position.
In the above configuration, the terminals contained in the terminal chambers are positioned in vertical two rows and electrically connected to the terminal portions formed on both sides of the printed circuit board. It is therefore possible to have the terminals multi-polarized and provide a high-density internal circuit as the multi-polarized terminals are brought into contact with the terminal portions of the printed circuit board with the conductor circuit formed on both sides of the printed circuit board.
Preferably, latch portions, respectively engaged with engagement portions which are provided on the printed circuit board, are provided on the second connector housing.
In the above configuration, the engagement portions of the printed circuit board are joined to the latch portions of the housing before being fixed to the insulating board after the wiring board is held by the board connector to ensure that the wiring board is prevented from slipping out. Thus, the reliability of the electrical connections is improved.